Washable strings for machinists&#39; and similar type aprons



2,948,03 7 AND Aug. 9, 19 E. T. BUGYI WASHABLE STRINGS FOR MACHINISTSSIMILAR TYPE APRONS Filed April 15, 1958 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS a a i aWASHABLE STRINGS FOR MACHINISTS AND SIMILAR TYPE APRONS Edward T. Bugyi,Bridgeport, Conn. (190 Knollwood Drive, Stratford, Conn.)

Filed Apr. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 728,650

4 Claims. (Cl. 24--73) This invention relates to aprons, particularlyworkmens aprons such, for example, as machinists, butchers and similartype aprons, and has for an object to provide improved supportingstrings for these aprons and means for securing them to the aprons, bywhich they may be easily and quickly removed fromthe apron and washedseparately therefrom, particularly at home by the user of the apron,without sending them to the laundry with the apron.

-It is also an object to provide an improved and simplified means fordetachably securing the strings to the apron, which, although easilydetachable from-the apron, is so constructed as to reduce to a minimumthe liability of becoming detached from the apron by movements of thewearer in his work, such, for example, as leaning over and the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, I have devised theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention isnot limited to the specific details of construction and arrangementshown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scopeof the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the upper portion of an apron showing theseimproved strings and means for attaching them to the apron;

, Fig. 2 is a front view of one of the attaching means applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a front view showing how one end of the string is attached tothe upper edge of the front of the apron;

Fig. 5 is a partial section and partial elevation looking from the rightof Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating a position the fastening means maytake without becoming detached from the apron on slackening of thestrain on the apron string by such actions of the wearer as leaning overand the like;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing another position it may take;

Fig. 8 is a view showing the fastening means for the string at the backof the apron, and

Fig. 9 is a partial section and side elevation looking from theright ofFig. 3.

At the present time, it is common practice to use plain fabric or wovenstrings as the supporting means for workmensaprons, such, for example,as machinists and similar type aprons. These become soiled with theapron and are sent to the laundry with the apron and tied to it. Becauseof this they become fouled up in laundering and soon become frayed andtheir usefulness destroyed. They need tying to keep them with the apron,and often get lost. Also, because of their material they soon get dirtyor soiled. It is an object of the present invention to overcome thesedifficulties and objections strings with its and provide strings forthese aprons which are not re' quired to be sent to the laundry with theapron but are of such material as may be easily washed and cleaned bythe owner himself, doing away with the necessity ofhaving them done bythe laundry and requiring furnishing of new strings by the laundry whenthey are lost or frayed by the laundry in washing with the apron, as isoften necessary when cloth strings are used. For this reason, these newstrings are made of a strip of plastic or similar material which willnot become as easily soiled as do the cloth or fabric strips and may bereadily cleaned by wiping witha damp cloth without the usual launderingor washing, and to permit'proper use of such a string anew andsimplified. attaching means is provided for securing them to the apron,and one by which they may be easily and quickly disconnected or removedfrom the apron for cleaning and before sending the apron to the laundry,and one which, although easily detachable from the apron, is not likelyto become inadvertently detached by movements of the wearer of the apronin carrying out his work, such, for examplefas leaning over and thelike.

In the drawing, in Fig. 1 is shown the upper portion of a common type ofworkmans apron 10, with an upper portion '11 adapted to be positionedover the chest and a lower portion 12 wrapped partly around the body,with rear portions 13 at the back of the body, and with the usualpockets 14 and 15 secured on the front side thereof. The 'apron issupported from the shoulders by suitable strings 16 passingover theshoulders and secured to thetop of the front portion 11 and the top freecorners of the rear portions 13, two of these strings being employedpassing over the shoulders and crossed at the back, so that the stringsecured to the front at the right handside portion 17 is secured to theleft and rear portion 13. In order to make these strings readilywashable or easily cleaned by merely wiping them off with a damp cloth,they are made of a flat strip of suitable plastic material, such, forexample, as suitable vinyl plastics, and they are secured to the apronat their opposite'ends by improved fastening books 18. To permit easyattaching to and removal from the securing hooks 18 for cleaningpurposes, and also to permit adjusting ofthe lengths of the strings forproperly supporting the apron, they are provided with a series of snapfasteners 19 suitably placed along the length of the string. Theimproved'fastening hooks 18 are constructed for detachably securing theopposite ends of the strings to the apron by suitable grommets oreyelets 20 which may be of metal or other suitable material, preferablythe usual metal grommets. These grommets as shown comprise a flangedmetal ring 21 passing through an opening in the apron from one sidethereof and. secured on the opposite side by rolling over a ring orwasher 22, thus providing an opening through the apron which is borderedby metal.

The hook 18 for use in combination with this grommet comprises a singlepiece of wire bent at one end to form an elongated loop 23 adapted tohave the string 16 threaded through it, and wide enough for passage ofone member. of the snap fasteners. Extending from this loop is anintermediate portion comprising two sections 24 and 25 bent at theirjunction 26 to an obtuse angle. The wire at the opposite end of thesection 25 from the loop 23 is bent backwardly upon itself in the formof a rounded bend 27, so that the free end portion 28 is bent backwardlyover the section 25 with its .free end 29 opposite the bend 26 and isspaced therefrom a distance somewhat greater than the width or diameterof the opening through the grommet. The bend 27 is a rounded bend withits interior Width substantially equal to or v Patented Aug 9, 1960slightly less than the thickness or length of the grommet so as toreceive and retain this grommet within this bend when the hook is in itsnormal apron-supporting position, as shown in Figs. and 9. The free end29 is also bent inwardly toward the bend 26 for a short distance backfrom the free end, as illustrated in the' drawing.

With this form of the'hook there is plenty of room between the free end29 and the intermediate portion comprising the sections 24 and 25 topermit ready and easy insertion of this free end through the grommet orits removal therefrom for quickly and easily attaching the string to ordetaching it from the apron, but the spacing and location of the endportion 28 and its free end 29 from the intermediate portions 24 and 25,in combination with the bend 26, are important features of thisconnection to prevent inadvertent disconnection of the hook'from theapron by various movements of the wearer of "the apron incident tohiswork. Thus, as previously noted, the rounded portion 27 is ofsubstantially the same or slightly less than the width of the grommet,so that when it is seated in the recess formed by this bend the grommetis gripped and wedged between the opposite sides thereof when supportingthe apron. If, however, the pull on the string 16 is released orloosened, as for example by the wearer bending over, the hook may takeeither of the positions of Figs. .6 and 7. In Fig. 6, as the distancebetween the free end 29 and the bend 26 is greater than the width of theopening in the grommet, instead of the hook passing out of and becomingdisconnected from the grommet, the section 24 of the intermediateportion passes through the opening in the grommet, locating the oppositeside portions 25 and 28 at the opposite side of the apron and thegrommet from the string 16. Then as upward strain is again applied tothe string, this hook is merely pulled back to and assumes its originalposition for supporting the apron as shown in Fig. 5. If when the strainon the string is released the hook does not pass through the grommet, asshown in Fig. 6, it may pass only partly through to the position of Fig.7. It will be seen that in this position the bend 26 lies at the lowerside of the opening in the grommet, but due to the fact that the freeend 29 is spaced from this bend a distance greater than the diameter orwidth of the opening in the grommet, this free end will be located onthe opposite side of the opening and somewhat above it, as shown in Fig.7. This will prevent the hook passing through the opening in the grommettoward the string side to disconnect it from the grommet and'the apron.If strain is now applied to the hook by the string it will be merelydrawn and shifted back to its original supportingposition, as shown inFigs. 5 and 9. It appears that the slight bend at the free end 29 alsoassists this action of preventing the hook from passing through thegrommet and also eifecting its return to the normal position when strainis again applied to the string, as it engages the opposite edge of thegrommet. However, although this shape and structure of the hook preventsinadvertent disconnection of the hook and there fore the string from theapron by movements of the wearer, it still permits the strings to beeasily and quickly applied to' and removed from the apron. Thus, whensending the apron to the laundry for cleaning, it is a simple operationfor the owner to disconnect and remove the strings from the apron andretain them at home for the cleaning operation, doing away with thenecessity of tying these strings to the apron, as is common practicewith the old type of Qloth or woven strings, with the consequentobjection of requiring time for tying and the danger of their becominglost and frayed or otherwise injured so as to become unusable.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A hook member adapted for securing a supporting string to a garmentby means of a grommet in the form of a ring, said hook comprising apiece of wire provided with a transverse loop at one end through whichthe string is threaded, an intermediate portion including twosubstantially straight sections bent at an obtuse angle to each other ata point spaced from the transverse loop, and a substantiallystraightfree end portion bent back over the intermediate section farthest fromthe loop with its free end opposite thebend in the intermediate portionand spaced therefrom a distance somewhat greater than the width of theopening in the grommet.

2. A hook member adapted for securing a supporting string to a garmentby means of a grommet in the form of a ring, said hook comprising apiece of wire provided with a transverse loop at one end through whichthe string is threaded, an intermediate portion including twosubstantially straight sections bent at an obtuse angle to each other,and a substantially straight free end portion bent back over theintermediate section farthest from the loop by a rounded bend with itssides at the bend spaced substantially the thickness of the grommet, thefree end of said latter portion located opposite the bend in theintermediate portion and bent a short distance toward it and spaced fromsaid bend a distance somewhat greater than the width of the opening inthe grommet.

3. A hook for securing a string to a garment by means of a grommet inthe form of a ring, said hook comprising a piece of wire provided withmeans at one end for securing it to the string, said hook alsocomprising an intermediate portion including two substantially straightsections bent at an obtuse angle to each other, and' said hook furtherincluding a substantially straight free end portion bent back over theintermediate portion at the end opposite the string securing means andprovided with a free end opposite the bend in the intermediateportionand spaced therefrom a distance somewhat greater than the width of theopening in the grommet.

4. A hook for securing a string to a garment-by means of a grommet inthe form of a ring, said hookcompris ing a piece of wire provided withmeans at one end for securing it to the string, said hook alsocomprising an intermediate portion including two substantially straightsections bent at an obtuse angle to each other, and said hook furtherincluding a substantially straight free end p0rtion bent back over theintermediateportion ,at the end opposite the string securing means andprovided with a free end opposite the bend in the intermediate portionbent for a short distance toward said bend and spaced therefrom adistance somewhat greater than the width of the opening in the grommet.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS. I699,513 Garms May 6, 1902 1,933,185 Rouleau Oct. 31, 1933 2,476,730 Hess'1.. July 19, 1949 FOREIGN-PATENTS I 528,122 Great Britain Qct.'23,n19.4()

